So I went looking at Playmobil stuff last night (have another post about that) and I left the toy store with a little set of HAPE wooden dolls for my son. It's just a little family of dolls about 3 inches tall. I have seen him play with little doll figures at daycare, and he seems to really like the dollhouse and making the people walk around in the dollhouse. I'd like to encourage that imaginary play, and I don't buy into the whole "boys only get action figures" type of thought (which is what seems to prevail around here outside of progressive daycares & schools).

The thing is....I am not sure he would play with a "dollhouse" for very long. He's 2 and a few months, and I'm betting by 3 or 4 he would be ready to move on to more the Playmobil action figure type play, and would do less with dolls. I have no idea really, since he's my only child, I'm just guessing. Since dollhouses are so expensive, I really don't want to buy one that is $100 or so just for him to play with it a handful of times and then ignore it.

Anyway, I'm interested in making him a cardboard dollhouse to play in. Has anyone done this? Any links to share? I figure if he doesn't play with it I can toss it. He likes things that make noise, so he may not like it, but if he doesn't I'm out a box and nothing else

I've seen people do book shelves as playhouses. Maybe get a 2 cube storage system and decorate it for him? When he outgrows it as a playhouse, it can be for books our something.

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What a great idea!!

ETA: Those of you with boys---do they play with dollhouses if they have the opportunity? I know the big wooden dollhouse at daycare is a favorite for all the kids, boys and girls, and that given the chance my lo will kiss babies and put them to bed, etc... Of course, he may also spend a fair amount of time ramming said baby into the wall in her stroller....but, I think it's important to offer a variety of chances for imaginary play?

My youngest is crazy for doll houses and he will build a doll house, castle or cave out of almost anything. He has 3 houses of some variety. It started with one Melissa and Doug wooden castle, then I added my old Sylvanian house when I thought he could handle it, and then I found a playmobil house for $2 at a thrift store. But that still isn't enough for him, I find his men all over his book shelves and even in the cubbies of my coffee table (technically we have a no toy in the living room rule but it still happens). He loves dolls and little men, they are his favorite toys. When Kearnan was younger he loved doll houses and would play with them whenever he found them. He had a Little People doll house and barn and played with it a good deal. I probably should have looked for one of the old Little Tykes doll houses for him because they are really cool but I never did. He doesn't play with dolls as much now but he will play with the playmobil people either on the book shelves, in the playmobil house or in the castle. Tharen is 6 and Kearnan is 11. So unless your son experiences a lot of outside pressure to give up the dolls or just is never particularly into them he could get quite a few years of enjoyment out of a good doll house. Maybe look at something like a wooden castle or a simple wooden house. You could even buy the Playmobil house now and let it grow with him.

ETA:

Tharen with his My Little Ponies and Army men playing in the Melissa and Doug castle. He also has a bunch of Hello Kitty lock together house playsets but I don't count those as doll houses.